[redhawk]

Has anyone ever done the baggage bays on a RV4?
I'm just thinking of ways to expand my baggage capacity of my 4
Thanks

 

[NickAir]

Outboard weight

Added weight outboard will negitively change aerobatic performance, I have heard. Research this issue with an engineer for safety. Luggage room is always nice to have.

 

[hudgin]

the Sport Cruiser has baggage bays just outside wingwalk area and behind the spar between the ribs.

 

[Michael Henning]

I believe it was done and written about in the RVator. I plan on doing it on my -4. Just a piano hinge for the removable panel on top of the wing tip. I will secure the load (clothing) to the forward part of the outboard wing rib using a net system.

 

[scsmith]

I know of several

There is a group of RV-4's that fly out of Nut Tree airport in Vacaville, all red, and they have baggage bays in their wingtips. I think they call themselves "Meerkats" or something like that.

Nice access doors in the flat top surface of the wing tips with Hartwell latches. Big enough to stuff a bunch of clothes in, or even wrap up some heavier gear in clothing and stuff it in there. Coming back from a wine tasting trip? Can probably get several bottles in there, all wrapped up.

 

[jthocker]

I just flew an/in an RV 8 with said baggage bays in wingtips from Nutree today.
Cool idea, and I will try to modify my RV8 with the new 415 wing tips to incorporate theses bays.

 

[Flyguytki]

One of my Hanger Neighbors vacuum packed 2 sets of survival gear and packed them into the wingtips, they do not have latches or anything b.c the intent is if you need the survival gear you don't care about the plane anymore, therefore a heavy rock would get them out. Pretty cool idea.

-david

 

[Captain Avgas]

I'd be concerned that any significant extra mass at the wingtips might affect spin recovery adversely in the RV4 (or any RV for that matter). John Johanson has reported that his RV4 exhibited a "hands-off-controls" spin recovery with standard tips but when he installed tip tanks (an increase of mass of only 3 kg at each tip) the same aircraft (with tip tanks empty) required positive conventional control inputs to recover from a spin.

I just think it's a bad place to be adding any additional mass due to the length of the lever arm.

 

[fixnflyguy]

Tip storage

Now that I'm looking to travel in my -4, I wish I had done them while building it. Lots of great space, and several others have done same. Many comments about weight/moment, however,the intent isnt to fly acro with baggage in the tips...There are plenty of aircraft with STC tip tanks added,and thats a bunch of weight. CG is main factor, and its easy enough to calculate that.

 

[Captain Avgas]

Now that I'm looking to travel in my -4, I wish I had done them while building it. Lots of great space, and several others have done same.

In the experimental category it's often the blind leading the blind.

Many comments about weight/moment, however,the intent isnt to fly acro with baggage in the tips.

You don't need to be doing acro to stall and spin.

There are plenty of aircraft with STC tip tanks added,and thats a bunch of weight. CG is main factor, and its easy enough to calculate that.

Vans stopped selling tip tanks. There was probably a good reason for that. They understood that at a particular tip mass the aircraft would not recover from a spin...and they were presumably not prepared to send up a test pilot to find out specifically what that mass was.

But, hey, this is the experimental category....YOU can be the test pilot.

 

[MikeF]

I tried to buy an RV-4 from a guy that had installed hinged doors on the wing tips, first of all the work was fantastic. He was storing cleaning items, paper towels and cleaners on one side. The other had rags and 1 qt of oil. Keep in mind the compartment was very small; I thought is was a great idea.

Mike